The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 348: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE CRIME 317 faction appeared upon his hideous countenance, as he felt that they were now more than ever bound fast in the tram- mels which he had cast around them, and by means of which he rendered them ductile and pliant to all his purposes of evil. The table was moved away from the middle of the scullery, the square piece of carpet on which it was wont to stand was likewise taken up, and a trap-door was raised. This trap-door revealed a considerable aperture; it was the mouth of a pit, whence a disagreeable earthy smell came up. There were steps leading down into the abyss, and to that depth was the corpse conveyed by Barney the Burker and Jack Smedley. The two women and the two lads stood close by the trap-door, gazing upon the scene which the light of the candle illuminated with a sufficiency to throw out its most hideous and ghastly features. And horrible indeed was that scene, — horrible the face of the miscreant Burker, bending over the rigid and blood-stained countenance of the mur- dered man, — that countenance, too, on the upper part of which there appeared so frightful a wound. ‘“‘ Hush,” said Bab Smedley, suddenly breaking the silence which prevailed. ‘1 do believe there is some one in the passage up-stairs.”’ ‘“ Nonsense,” growled the Burker, ‘if all the doors is shut, how can there be any one in the house? And if there is, we ll sarve him as we've done the stiff’un here.”’ ‘Do be quiet,’’ whispered Mrs. Smedley, with affrighted impatience. ‘I am certain there are footsteps.”’ The woman spoke so confidently that all did now remain perfectly quiet, with suspended breath, but no sound met their ears, and Mrs. Smedley yielded to the conclusion that it was only fancy on her part. But all of a sudden there was a strange rushing noise in the passage above; the body fell from the Burker’s grasp, and Jack Smedley, who was lower down the steps, sustaining the feet of the murdered man, fell backward with considerable violence, the corpse rolling upon him. It was in the bottom of the vault that this horrible incident took place, and a cry of terror ascended from that depth. Then the next moment the gold-beater was seen rushing up the steps as if he were demented, his hair standing on end, his countenance ghastly pale, his hips white, his eyes rolling with horror. GOMIIGIOOKS (C(O)